SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS
The present inventive concept relates to a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a chamber providing a processing space; a lid for covering the top of the chamber; a substrate support part supporting at least one substrate and rotating about a rotation axis such that the substrate passes through an imaging area; a gas injection part for injecting a process gas toward the substrate support part; an area image capturing part for capturing an image of the imaging area to obtain a thermal image of the imaging area; and a calculation part for calculating the temperature data of the substrate from the thermal image.
The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus which performs a processing process such as a deposition process and an etching process on a substrate.
BACKGROUND ARTGenerally, a thin-film layer, a thin-film circuit pattern, or an optical pattern should be formed on a substrate for manufacturing a solar cell, a semiconductor device, a flat panel display device, etc. To this end, a processing process is performed on a substrate, and examples of the processing process include a deposition process of depositing a thin film including a specific material on the substrate, a photo process of selectively exposing a portion of a thin film by using a photosensitive material, an etching process of removing the selectively exposed portion of the thin film to form a pattern, etc. Such a processing process is performed on a substrate by a substrate processing apparatus.
A substrate processing apparatus of the related art includes a substrate supporting unit which supports a substrate and a gas injection unit which injects a processing gas toward the substrate supporting unit. The substrate supporting unit rotates about a rotational shaft. As the substrate supporting unit rotates about the rotational shaft, a substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit passes through a region under the gas injection unit. In this process, a processing process is performed on the substrate by using the processing gas injected by the gas injection unit.
In such a processing process, a temperature of the substrate acts as an important factor. In order to reflect the temperature of the substrate in the processing process, in the related art, a temperature distribution of the substrate is obtained by using a thermocouple (TC) wafer before performing the processing process.
The substrate processing apparatus of the related art may not obtain the temperature distribution of the substrate in the middle of performing the processing process, and thus, the processing process is performed by predicting a temperature distribution of the substrate by using a temperature distribution of the substrate obtained before performing the processing process. However, due to many variables which occur while the processing process is being performed, a considerable difference between a predicted temperature distribution of the substrate and a real temperature distribution of the substrate occurs inevitably while the processing process is being performed. Due to such a difference, the substrate processing apparatus of the related art has a problem where it is difficult to secure the uniformity of quality of a substrate on which the processing process is completed.
DISCLOSURE Technical ProblemThe present inventive concept is devised to solve the above-described problem and is for providing a substrate processing apparatus for enhancing the uniformity of quality of a substrate on which a processing process is completed.
Technical SolutionTo accomplish the above-described objects, the present inventive concept may include the following elements.
An apparatus for processing substrate according to the present inventive concept may include: a chamber providing a processing space; a lid covering an upper portion of the chamber; a substrate supporting unit supporting at least one substrate and rotating about a rotational shaft so that a substrate passes through a photographing region; a gas injection unit injecting a processing gas toward the substrate supporting unit; a region photographing unit photographing the photographing region to obtain a thermal image of the photographing region; and a calculation unit calculating temperature data of a substrate from the thermal image.
Advantageous EffectAccording to the present inventive concepts, the following effects may be obtained.
The present inventive concept is implemented to calculate temperature data while a processing process is being performed on a substrate. Accordingly, the uniformity of quality of a substrate on which the processing process is completed may be enhanced.
The present inventive concept is implemented to photograph a region by using a region photographing unit to calculate temperature data of a substrate. Therefore, the present inventive concept may enhance the easiness of an alignment operation of aligning the region photographing unit and may shorten a time taken in performing the alignment operation of the region photographing unit. Accordingly, the present inventive concept may increase an operating rate to increase the productivity of a substrate on which the processing process is completed.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present inventive concept will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present inventive concept may include a substrate supporting unit 2, a lid 3, a gas injection unit 4, a region photographing unit 5, and a calculation unit 6.
Referring to
The substrate supporting unit 2 may rotate about a rotational shaft 2a. As the substrate supporting unit 2 rotates about the rotational shaft 2a, the substrate 100 supported by the substrate supporting unit 2 passes through a region under the gas injection unit 4 while rotating about the rotational shaft 2a. In this process, a processing process may be performed on the substrate 100 by using a processing gas injected by the gas injection unit 4. The substrate supporting unit 2 may support at least one substrate 100. When the substrate supporting unit 2 supports a plurality of substrates 100, the substrates 100 may be disposed apart from one another with respect to the rotational shaft 2a. A rotation device (not shown) which provides the rotational force may be coupled to the substrate supporting unit 2.
Referring to
Referring to
The gas injection unit 4 may include a first gas injection module 41 which injects a first gas and a second gas injection module 42 which injects a second gas. The first gas may be a source gas, and the second gas may be a reactant gas. The first gas injection module 41 and the second gas injection module 42 may be disposed apart from each other with respect to the rotational shaft 2a. Therefore, when the substrate supporting unit 2 rotates about the rotational shaft 2a, the substrate 100 sequentially passes through a region under the first gas injection module 41 and a region under the second gas injection module 42 while rotating about the rotational shaft 2a. Accordingly, a processing process may be performed on the substrate 100 by using the first gas and the second gas. The gas injection unit 4 may include a plurality of first gas injection modules 41. The gas injection unit 4 may include a plurality of second gas injection modules 42.
The gas injection unit 4 may include a purge gas injection module 43 which injects a purge gas. The purge gas injection module 43 may inject the purge gas, and thus, may divide a first region which the first gas is injected into and a second region which the second gas is injected into. Therefore, the purge gas injection module 43 may prevent the first gas and the second gas from being mixed between the first region and the second region. When the substrate supporting unit 2 rotates about the rotational shaft 2a, the substrate 100 passes through a region under the purge gas injection module 43 while rotating about the rotational shaft 2a. In this process, a residual gas remaining on the substrate 100 may be purged by the purge gas. As illustrated in
Referring to
First, in the comparative example which obtains the temperature distribution of the substrate 100 by using the line scanner, a position of the line scanner should be precisely aligned with respect to a position of the substrate 100. Therefore, in the comparative example, it is difficult to perform an alignment operation on the line scanner at an initial setting stage, and moreover, a considerable time is taken in performing the alignment operation on the line scanner, whereby there is a disadvantage where a time taken in initial setting is delayed. Such a disadvantage affects adversely a process of remounting the line scanner after maintenance and repair.
In this context, an embodiment, which photographs a region by using the region photographing unit 5 to obtain the temperature distribution of the substrate 100, is implemented so that an allowable error range of an alignment operation of the region photographing unit 5 with respect to a position of the substrate 100 is greater than the comparative example. This is because the region photographing unit 5 photographs a region to obtain the thermal image, and thus, the error range is compensated for through correction in the thermal image. Therefore, comparing with the comparative example, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present disclosure may reduce a time taken in performing the alignment operation of the region photographing unit 5, and thus, has an advantage where a time taken in initial setting and a time taken in remounting are shortened. Accordingly, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present disclosure may increase an operating rate, thereby increasing the productivity of a substrate on which the processing process is completed.
Second, in the comparative example which obtains the temperature distribution of the substrate 100 by using the line scanner, the temperature distribution of the substrate 100 is obtained by continuously performing point measurement to measure one line. However, because the point measurement is performed in a state where a substrate is rotating, the comparative example has a measurement time difference which occurs between a first measurement point and a second measurement point. Accordingly, the comparative example is reduced in accuracy of the temperature distribution of the substrate 100.
In this context, in an embodiment which photographs a region by using the region photographing unit 5 to obtain the temperature distribution of the substrate 100, the temperature distribution of the substrate 100 is obtained by obtaining the thermal image through momentary photographing in a state where a substrate is rotating. Therefore, a measurement time difference between measurement points does not occur in the thermal image which is obtained through momentary photographing by the region photographing unit 5. Accordingly, comparing with the comparative example, an embodiment may enhance an accuracy of the temperature distribution of the substrate 100.
Third, in the comparative example which obtains the temperature distribution of the substrate 100 by using the line scanner, despite point measurement being continuously performed, a different error value occurs for each measurement point whenever the measurement point is performed, due to a peak-to-peak period. Due to this, in the comparative example, an accuracy of the temperature distribution of the substrate 100 is reduced.
In this context, in an embodiment which photographs a region by using the region photographing unit 5 to obtain the temperature distribution of the substrate 100, because the thermal image is obtained through momentary photographing, the same error value occurs in all measurement points even when an error value occurs in the thermal image. Accordingly, comparing with the comparative example, an embodiment may enhance an accuracy of the temperature distribution of the substrate 100.
The photographing region 200 may be formed to have a first length 210L which is shorter than a diameter of the substrate 100, with respect to a direction in which the substrate 100 rotates about the rotational shaft 2a. A second length 220L of the photographing region 200 vertical to the first length 210L may be set to be longer than the diameter of the substrate 100. Therefore, the region photographing unit 5 may obtain a thermal image including a portion of the substrate 100. Accordingly, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present inventive concept may obtain a plurality of thermal images, thereby obtaining a temperature distribution of all of the substrate 100. In
The region photographing unit 5 may be disposed outside the processing space. In this case, the region photographing unit 5 may obtain the thermal image including the processing space through a measurement hole 300 disposed in the photographing region 200. Accordingly, the region photographing unit 5 may obtain the thermal image including the substrate 100 which passes through a region under the measurement hole 300.
The measurement hole 300 may be formed in the gas injection unit 4. In this case, the region photographing unit 5 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the measurement hole 300, over the gas injection unit 4. The measurement hole 300 may be formed in the purge gas injection module 43 in the gas injection unit 4. The measurement hole 300 may be formed to pass through the purge gas injection module 43. In this case, the measurement hole 300 may be formed at a position apart from purge holes (not shown) for injecting the purge gas in the purge gas injection module 43.
The measurement hole 300 may be formed in the lid 3. In this case, the region photographing unit 5 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the measurement hole 300, over the lid 3. The measurement hole 300 may be formed to pass through the lid 3. In this case, the measurement hole 300 may be formed at a portion, where the gas injection unit 4 is not disposed, of the lid 3.
The measurement hole 300 may be formed to have a size which is less than that of the photographing region 200. With respect to
Referring to
The calculation unit 6 may include an extraction module 61 and a calculation module 62.
The extraction module 61 extracts pieces of candidate data for obtaining the temperature data. The extraction module 61 may extract first candidate data (illustrated in
The extraction module 61 may determine an interval between the first measurement line ML1 and the second measurement line ML2 on the basis of a separation distance between the substrate 100 and the region photographing unit 5. The separation distance between the substrate 100 and the region photographing unit 5 may correspond to a height of the region photographing unit 5 with respect to the substrate 100. For example, the extraction module 61 may determine the interval between the first measurement line ML1 and the second measurement line ML2 as an interval between pixels of the region photographing unit 5 corresponding to the separation distance between the substrate 100 and the region photographing unit 5. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present inventive concept may set the first candidate data based on the first measurement line ML1 and the second candidate data based on the second measurement line ML2 to correspond to a position which is closest to the substrate 100. Accordingly, in a case where a point at which a temperature is abnormally measured is in one piece of candidate data of the first candidate data and the second candidate data, even when a temperature of a corresponding point is corrected with reference to one piece of other candidate data, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present inventive concept may secure temperature data sufficient to check the temperature distribution of the substrate 100. For example, the extraction module 61 may extract the first candidate data and the second candidate data by using the first measurement line ML1 and the second measurement line ML2 which are apart from each other by an interval of 0.3 mm. In this case, the separation distance between the substrate 100 and the region photographing unit 5 may be 300 mm, the region photographing unit 5 may obtain the thermal image having a 640×480 resolution, and the interval between the pixels of the region photographing unit 5 may be 0.3 mm.
The extraction module 61 may extract a portion, other than a portion corresponding to a pre-set temperature or less, of the thermal image as a substrate portion SA (illustrated in
The calculation module 62 may calculate temperature data of a point-based temperature of a substrate included in the thermal image by using the first candidate data and the second candidate data. The first candidate data and the second candidate data are provided from the extraction module 61 through wired communication, wireless communication, or the like.
The calculation module 62 may determine a point, exceeding a pre-set reference temperature ST, of one piece of candidate data of the first candidate data and the second candidate data as a temperature of one piece of other candidate data, thereby calculating the temperature data. The reference temperature ST may be considered to be abnormally higher than noise, and thus, may be previously set by a worker. For example, the calculation module 62 may exclude a point-based temperature of a first section T1 exceeding the reference temperature ST in the first candidate data illustrated in
The calculation module 62 may determine a point, which is equal to or less than the reference temperature ST, in all of the first candidate data and the second candidate data are as an average temperature of a temperature of the first candidate data and a temperature of the second candidate data, thereby calculating the temperature data. For example, the calculation module 62 may determine an average temperature of a point-based temperature of a section other than the first section T1 in the first candidate data illustrated in
As described above, the calculation module 62 may determine a point exceeding the reference temperature ST in one piece of candidate data of the first candidate data and the second candidate data as a temperature of one piece of other candidate data and may determine a point, which is equal to or less than the reference temperature ST, in all of the first candidate data and the second candidate data as an average temperature of the temperature of the first candidate data and the temperature of the second candidate data, thereby calculating the temperature data. Accordingly, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present inventive concept may more enhance an accuracy of the temperature data. When a point exceeding the reference temperature ST occurs in all of the first candidate data and the second candidate data, the calculation module 62 may transmit an alarm to a worker.
Referring to
The generating module 63 generates an oval detection image representing the temperature distribution of the substrate 100 by using a plurality of temperature data. As illustrated in
The generating module 63 may generate the oval detection image representing a temperature distribution corresponding one rotation of a substrate by using a rotation speed of the substrate supporting unit 2 and a photographing time of the thermal image used to calculate the pieces of temperature data. Therefore, in a case where the pieces of temperature data are calculated in a process of supporting a plurality of substrates 100 on the substrate supporting unit 2 and rotating the substrates 100 by 360 degrees with respect to the rotational shaft 2a a plurality of times, the generating module 63 may generate the oval detection image from pieces of temperature data, corresponding to a case where the same substrate 100 rotates same times, among the pieces of temperature data.
The conversion module 64 converts the oval detection image into a circular detection image corresponding to the substrate 100. Therefore, a worker may check the temperature distribution of the substrate 100 by using a temperature distribution which is differentially displayed in color on the basis of a temperature in the circular detection image. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present disclosure may provide the worker with the circular detection image corresponding to the substrate 100, thereby enhancing the easiness of an operation of checking the temperature distribution of the substrate 100. Although not shown, the conversion module 64 may provide the circular detection image to a display apparatus (not shown). The oval detection image may be provided from the generating module 63 to the conversion module 64 through wired communication, wireless communication, or the like.
The conversion module 64 may calculate point-based coordinates of the substrate 100 by using a rotation speed of the substrate supporting unit 2 and a distance apart from the rotational shaft 2a of the substrate supporting unit 2 for each point of the substrate 100, and then, may convert the oval detection image into the circular detection image on the basis of the calculated coordinates. As the rotation speed of the substrate supporting unit 2 increases, the substrate supporting unit 2 moves by a larger distance, and moreover, in a point where the distance apart from the rotational shaft 2a is larger, the substrate supporting unit 2 moves by a relatively larger distance, whereby the conversion module 64 calculates point-based coordinates of the substrate 100 by using a rotation speed of the substrate supporting unit 2 and a distance apart from the rotational shaft 2a for each point of the substrate 100. In this case, the point-based coordinates of the substrate 100 may correspond to absolute coordinates with respect to a real substrate 100. When the point-based coordinates of the substrate 100 are calculated, the conversion module 64 may move a point-based temperature of the substrate 100 on the basis of the absolute coordinates to convert the oval detection image into the circular detection image.
Referring to
The temperature control unit 7 controls a temperature of the substrate 100 supported on the substrate supporting unit 2. The temperature control unit 7 may control a temperature of the substrate supporting unit 2, and thus, may control the temperature of the substrate 100 by using the substrate supporting unit 2. In this case, the temperature control unit 7 may be installed in the substrate supporting unit 2. Although not shown, the temperature control unit 7 may be implemented to control the temperature of the substrate 100 by using electricity. In this case, the temperature control unit 7 may be implemented as an electric heater. Although not shown, the temperature control unit 7 may be implemented to control the temperature of the substrate 100 by using a temperature control fluid. In this case, the temperature control unit 7 may include a pipe installed in the substrate supporting unit 2, a pump which supplies the temperature control fluid to the pipe, and a control unit which controls a temperature of the temperature control fluid supplied to the pipe by the pump.
The temperature control unit 7 may control the temperature of the substrate 100, supported by the substrate supporting unit 2, to a pre-set processing temperature by using the temperature data calculated by the calculation unit 6. The pre-set processing temperature may vary based on the kind of the processing process, the kind of the substrate 100, and the kind of a thin film and may be previously set by a worker.
The gas injection unit 4 may stop injection of a gas to the substrate supporting unit 2 until the temperature of the substrate 100 supported by the substrate supporting unit 2 is controlled to the processing temperature by using the temperature data calculated by the calculation unit 6. When it is checked that the temperature of the substrate 100 supported by the substrate supporting unit 2 is controlled to the processing temperature by using the temperature data calculated by the calculation unit 6, the gas injection unit 4 may start the injection of the gas to the substrate supporting unit 2. Accordingly, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present inventive concept may enhance the uniformity of quality of a substrate on which the processing process is completed.
The present inventive concept described above are not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings and those skilled in the art will clearly appreciate that various modifications, deformations, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. An apparatus for processing substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a chamber providing a processing space;
- a lid covering an upper portion of the chamber;
- a substrate supporting unit supporting at least one substrate and rotating about a rotational shaft so that a substrate passes through a photographing region;
- a gas injection unit injecting a processing gas toward the substrate supporting unit;
- a region photographing unit photographing the photographing region to obtain a thermal image of the photographing region; and
- a calculation unit calculating temperature data of a substrate from the thermal image.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- a measurement hole disposed in the photographing region is provided in the lid, and
- the region photographing unit is disposed over the lid and obtains the thermal image including a substrate passing through a region under the measurement hole by using the measurement hole.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
- a measurement hole disposed in the photographing region is provided in the gas injection unit, and
- the region photographing unit is disposed over the gas injection unit and obtains the thermal image including a substrate passing through a region under the measurement hole by using the measurement hole.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the calculation unit comprises:
- an extraction module extracting first candidate data of a point-based temperature of a substrate corresponding to a first measurement line from the thermal image and extracting second candidate data of a point-based temperature of a substrate, corresponding to a second measurement line parallel to the first measurement line, from the thermal image; and
- a calculation module calculating temperature data of a point-based temperature of a substrate included in the thermal image by using the first candidate data and the second candidate data.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the calculation module determines a point, exceeding a pre-set reference temperature, of one piece of candidate data of the first candidate data and the second candidate data as a temperature of one piece of other candidate data and determines a point, which is equal to or less than the reference temperature, in all of the first candidate data and the second candidate data as an average temperature of a temperature of the first candidate data and a temperature of the second candidate data.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the extraction module determines an interval between the first measurement line and the second measurement line on the basis of a separation distance between a substrate and the region photographing unit.
7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the extraction module extracts the first candidate data and the second candidate data by using the first measurement line and the second measurement line which are apart from each other by an interval of 0.3 mm.
8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the extraction module extracts a portion, other than a portion corresponding to a pre-set temperature or less, of the thermal image as a substrate portion and extracts the first candidate data and the second candidate data corresponding to the extracted substrate portion.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the calculation unit comprises:
- a generating module generating an oval detection image representing the temperature distribution of the substrate by using a plurality of temperature data; and
- a conversion module converting the oval detection image into a circular detection image corresponding to a substrate.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein
- the generating module generates the oval detection image representing a temperature distribution corresponding one rotation of a substrate by using a rotation speed of the substrate supporting unit and a photographing time of the thermal image used to calculate the pieces of temperature data, and
- the conversion module calculates point-based coordinates of a substrate by using a rotation speed of the substrate supporting unit and a distance apart from a rotational shaft of the substrate supporting unit for each point of the substrate, and then, converts the oval detection image into the circular detection image on the basis of the calculated coordinates.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a temperature control unit for controlling a temperature of a substrate supported on the substrate supporting unit,
- wherein the temperature control unit controls the temperature of the substrate by using temperature data calculated by the calculation unit.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas injection unit stops injection of a gas to the substrate supporting unit until a temperature of a substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit is controlled to a pre-set processing temperature by using the temperature data calculated by the calculation unit.
13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the calculation unit comprises:
- an extraction module extracting first candidate data of a point-based temperature of a substrate corresponding to a first measurement line from the thermal image and extracting second candidate data of a point-based temperature of a substrate, corresponding to a second measurement line parallel to the first measurement line, from the thermal image; and
- a calculation module calculating temperature data of a point-based temperature of a substrate included in the thermal image by using the first candidate data and the second candidate data.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the calculation module determines a point, exceeding a pre-set reference temperature, of one piece of candidate data of the first candidate data and the second candidate data as a temperature of one piece of other candidate data and determines a point, which is equal to or less than the reference temperature, in all of the first candidate data and the second candidate data as an average temperature of a temperature of the first candidate data and a temperature of the second candidate data.
15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the extraction module determines an interval between the first measurement line and the second measurement line on the basis of a separation distance between a substrate and the region photographing unit.
16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the extraction module extracts a portion, other than a portion corresponding to a pre-set temperature or less, of the thermal image as a substrate portion and extracts the first candidate data and the second candidate data corresponding to the extracted substrate portion.
17. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the calculation unit comprises:
- an extraction module extracting first candidate data of a point-based temperature of a substrate corresponding to a first measurement line from the thermal image and extracting second candidate data of a point-based temperature of a substrate, corresponding to a second measurement line parallel to the first measurement line, from the thermal image; and
- a calculation module calculating temperature data of a point-based temperature of a substrate included in the thermal image by using the first candidate data and the second candidate data.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the calculation module determines a point, exceeding a pre-set reference temperature, of one piece of candidate data of the first candidate data and the second candidate data as a temperature of one piece of other candidate data and determines a point, which is equal to or less than the reference temperature, in all of the first candidate data and the second candidate data as an average temperature of a temperature of the first candidate data and a temperature of the second candidate data.
19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the extraction module determines an interval between the first measurement line and the second measurement line on the basis of a separation distance between a substrate and the region photographing unit.
20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the extraction module extracts a portion, other than a portion corresponding to a pre-set temperature or less, of the thermal image as a substrate portion and extracts the first candidate data and the second candidate data corresponding to the extracted substrate portion.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 2, 2020
Publication Date: May 23, 2024
Inventors: In Woo BACK (Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do), Jong Chul KIM (Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do), Yeong Seop BYEON (Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do), In Cheol YEO (Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do)
Application Number: 17/772,677